LogFAQs > #902178089

PumpkinCoach posted...

But like I said, concepts in kpop are nebulous descriptors that are not as limiting or codified as they sound, or even describing the same type of thing all the time. It's just an easy shorthand for groups introducing their song during an interview or press release in a sentence or two, possibly used alongside details about music genre or subject matter. A group saying their next song has a bright concept says it's upbeat, but doesn't determine much else about it. It's only limiting when someone is trying to dismiss everything as either cute or sexy, which is a false dichotomy both in the sense that both are still selling sex, and in the sense that there are way more than 2 concepts. That said, there are types of sexy or cute concepts that are commonly used, because companies like to run with what's worked in the past.

Though if you see a combination of elements often enough then it's more akin to a genre. Honestly, is there a difference between concepts and genres?

Full agree. Yeah, even classical music has "concepts". Concept and mood are very related. Like you said, a concept is like the visual or overall aesthetic style of the piece, collection or artist. Concepts are certainly related to genre, specially to the moods that might go with a certain genre, as certain genres go better with certain concepts, or perhaps I should say it the other way around. It's hard to make a cute ballad, for example, at least for pop consumption. But it's much easier to make a "pure" ballad. Yeah I think this helps show that concepts are not a clear cut thing, for sure. They're a varied spectrum. But as we just said, they're always there nonetheless.

So yeah, Brown Eyed Girls for example always have a concept. Always had, always will. It only makes sense to speak of "girl groups that don't do concepts" relatively.
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